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Bubonic Tourist was founded in September 2000, but it officially incorporated as a not-for-profit in 2003. Incorporation allowed the organization to legitimize in a way - an important step in securing operational funding (the logic of this is debatable in hindsight).

A publication that profiled different organizations and events taking place in 2005-2006. Pictured here (on the left) is Eric from a performance called "Memories" or "Memories of the Foreseen Present" (the title has changed over the years).

Samuel Garrigo Meza and Eric were invited to the University of Lethbridge to present some work as part of an evening of student performances. It was pretty ridiculous. If memory serves we did an early version of Orcharestra.

Bubonic Tourist shut down in 2006. FFWD published an article about the company stopping its work. If memory serves, Mia was the one inside the horse head and Samuel took the picture. Or maybe it was the other way around. Regardless, Samuel had already left the company so he didn't want to be in the picture. Not sure what that other thing is. Some sort of artists to watch thing.

The idea of curating a performance and visual art festival had been percolating for well over a year. In fact there were a couple of different plans cooked up before Mutton Busting actually took shape. Pictured here is the email that Eric sent to Michael Green asking to do the festival as part of the High Performance Rodeo. Originally Eric had intended the festival to be at Meredeth 421. Next to the email is a one page proposal sent to the Art Gallery of Calgary asking to use one of their spaces as a festival site. The first festival cost a total of $635.99 to produce!

A copy of the poster used to advertise Nude (in)Fusion. Bubonic Tourist's first performance. The image is from London, UK and if you look closely you can see Samuel walking away from the camera in the centre of the shot.

The performance was held at the Meredith 421 - an after hours club run by Daniel Sponagel.

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's first full-length performance called Nude (in)fusion. The performance was held at the Meredith 421 - an after hours club run by Daniel Sponagel.

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's first full-length performance called Nude (in)fusion. The performance was held at the Meredith 421 - an after hours club run by Daniel Sponagel.

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's first full-length performance called Nude (in)fusion. The performance was held at the Meredith 421 - an after hours club run by Daniel Sponagel.

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's first full-length performance called Nude (in)fusion. The performance was held at the Meredith 421 - an after hours club run by Daniel Sponagel.

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's first full-length performance called Nude (in)fusion. The performance was held at the Meredith 421 - an after hours club run by Daniel Sponagel.

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's first full-length performance called Nude (in)fusion. The performance was held at the Meredith 421 - an after hours club run by Daniel Sponagel.

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's second full-length performance called Smuggling Dog. The performance was held at the Daniel Sponagel Centre of Art (22 4th Street NE).

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's second full-length performance called Smuggling Dog. The performance was held at the Daniel Sponagel Centre of Art (22 4th Street NE).

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's second full-length performance called Smuggling Dog. The performance was held at the Daniel Sponagel Centre of Art (22 4th Street NE).

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's second full-length performance called Smuggling Dog. The performance was held at the Daniel Sponagel Centre of Art (22 4th Street NE).

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's second full-length performance called Smuggling Dog. The performance was held at the Daniel Sponagel Centre of Art (22 4th Street NE).

This publication documents the process and presentation of Bubonic Tourist's second full-length performance called Smuggling Dog. The performance was held at the Daniel Sponagel Centre of Art (22 4th Street NE).

As part of the Yukon PIPE Festival, Samuel Garrigo Meza and Eric made a performance at the bottom of a bluff and in a park used by dog walkers. It isn't really clear what was happening, but Eric and Samuel were painted white and standing on pink boxes.

Bubonic Tourist created their first performance, Nude (in)fusion in 2001. This is the program from the performance that was held at Meredith 421. The article was written by Chris Ewart for Bemused Magazine (founded by Jocelyn Grosse).

It is interesting to see here the horse head so early in Bubonic Tourist's marketing (in 2002). This marketing material would have been for Smuggling Dog (before it was titled) and was published in the first Mutton Busting Festival program. Also included here is press for Smuggling Dog in FFWD and Bemused Magazine.

In 2003 Cedric Jamet, Yoko Kawabata, Samuel Garrigo Meza, and Eric created a full length performance for Calgary's One Act Play Festival. Entering the festival was a bit of joke or an anti-theatre gesture. "Memories" or "Memories of the Foreseen Present" (the title has changed over the years) was a surreal work co-created by Bubonic Tourist and Melancholic Productions (a joke name made up by Cedric). Pictured here is a copy of the festival program and a press clipping.

Mia and Eric met each other at Ant Hill Fabrics. Eric was buying several metres of white cotton for a performance he was working on. We both realized recently that the fabric wrapping the rabbit on the poster for Orcharestra (seen here) is the same fabric. Orcharestra was presented as part of the Third Annual Solocentric Festival - curated by Jenny Repond and David Freise - at The Big Secret Theatre. Eric played himself and Samuel Garrigo Meza dressed in a pig mask.

As part of the Yukon PIPE Festival, Samuel Garrigo Meza and Eric made a performance at the bottom of a bluff and in a park used by dog walkers. It isn't really clear what was happening, but Eric and Samuel were painted white and standing on pink boxes. They shaved their heads. This is their hair.

Mia and Eric met each other at Ant Hill Fabrics. Eric was buying several metres of white cotton for a performance he was working on. We both realized recently that the fabric wrapping the rabbit on the poster for Orcharestra (seen here) is the same fabric. Orcharestra was presented as part of the Third Annual Solocentric Festival - curated by Jenny Repond and David Freise - at The Big Secret Theatre. Eric played himself and Samuel Garrigo Meza dressed in a pig mask.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a photograph of some flowers. Mia, like her grandma, has always taken hundreds of photographs of plants. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a photograph of some flowers. Mia, like her grandma, has always taken hundreds of photographs of plants. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The back of this book is made from a paper Mia made. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a cut up photographs of some flowers and sewn patterns. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a cut up photographs of some flowers and sewn patterns. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a cut up photographs of some flowers and sewn patterns. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a photograph of some flowers. Mia, like her grandma, has always taken hundreds of photographs of plants. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The back of this book is made from a paper Mia made. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a photograph of some teacups. Mia has a big collection of teacups and you will see drawings and photos throughout her practice. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a photograph of some flowers. Mia, like her grandma, has always taken hundreds of photographs of plants. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a cut up photographs of some flowers and sewn patterns. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a cut up photographs of some flowers and sewn patterns - pictured here is the inside front cover. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a cut up photographs of some flowers, painted patterns, and sewn seashell patterns. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a cut up photographs of some flowers, painted patterns, and sewn seashell patterns. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a cut up photographs of some flowers, painted patterns, and sewn seashell patterns. The image here shows the inside front cover. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a cut up photographs of some flowers, painted patterns, and sewn patterns. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things.

Mia created a lot of books in the mid-2000s. The books were collages of her practice at the time and are examples of the different collections she would create. The cover of this book is made from a cut up photographs of some flowers, painted patterns, and sewn seashell patterns. The interior of the books were made up of drawings, handmade paper, patterns, and photos among other things. Pictured here is how Mia would package her books for sale.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. These are a pair of mittens that have a braided pattern running down the centre of them. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, vegetation plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered twigs, leaves, or other types of plant life. During the period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

Mia knits a lot and in the mid-2000s she spent a lot of her time making mittens and other wearable objects. Like other projects that Mia has made, patterns plays an important thematic role with many of her the mitts having embroidered patterns on them. During this period Mia sold most of her craft-based stuff on Etsy (before it sucked!) and at different artist led sales.

This poster is from Eric's early days as a student at the University of Calgary, but it speaks to the trajectory of his early practice. Dylan Thomas who was a graduate student at the time, had John Ressler run for student president. John came in a close second. As part of the campaign Eric did a series of inverventions/performances around the campus.

Michael Green nominated Eric for the Enbridge Emerging Artist Award in 2004. The award was given at the Mayor's Lunch. Eric was the inaugural recipient. The letter, although in draft form, captures a perspective on the early community building initiatives Eric undertook along with his colleagues. The official letter would have been submitted on One Yellow Rabbit letterhead.

There are a bunch of old CD-R's in this case. Posters, press pics, movies. Some of them are from Bubonic Tourist and others are from artists they presented. Pictured here is a CD-R of a Mutton Busting Quicktime movie and a copy of a video by Belinda + Barnabas (a project Eric and Julia Chrika had).

Bubonic Tourist and One Yellow Rabbit had planned to co-present a wedding between Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens as part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival. The project was postponed until the following year (but Bubonic Tourist was no longer around). Eric was invited to participate by reading a sound poem/hymn at the outset.

There was a time in the mid-2000s when newspapers were often writing about the growth of the Calgary arts community. Two of these belong to that category. The opinion piece was published in the Reflector newspaper and had some sort of receipe for performance.

In 2004 Eric was awarded the inaugural Enbridge Emerging Artist Award. He was nominated by Michael Green and was awarded the prize during the Mayor's Lunch for the Arts. Pictured here is some press about the winners, a letter from the Mayor, and a program from the ceremony.

In 2006 Avenue Magazine ran a series about artists and their journals. Eric was provided with a blank journal and was asked to write about art and his process over the course of a month. Instead he wrote letters to then Calgary Mayor, Dave Bronconnier. In a funny way, this was a precursor the project Even when it seems impossible we look into the future.

One of the reasons Bubonic Tourist shut down, was because Eric was going back to school. Truthfully, Eric had wanted to look at different modes of representation for the work he was doing with Bubonic Tourist -- it was important to create work that didn't look or act like theatre. This is an article talking about the program he entered at the University of Calgary. Eventually he would leave the program for The School of Critical and Creative Studies at the University of British Columbia in Kelowna.

Eric has long been an advocate of art spaces in Calgary. He pulled this article from a 2003 or 2004 edition of FFWD that discusses the issues many artist run centres in Calgary were facing finding sustainable space. The issues raised in this article still exist and Eric still hasn't stopped advocating for art spaces in Calgary. Pictured here is Melody Jacobson.

In the fall of 2007 Eric was invited to do an artist talk at the Alternator Gallery in Kelowna. Mia and Eric thought it would be funny to make a cardboard Ogopogo costume to be worn during the talk. After the talk they went to Walmart and Eric had his portrait taken in the photo studio. (It was Kelowna, what else to do?)

Eric and Carmen (Pineda-Selva) Pelletier were in a production of No Exit that was directed by Dylan Thomas during their first year of university. This is an interesting document as it shows some of the early roots of Bubonic Tourist.

This is an odd collection of things. From left to right: A letter of invitation from Terminus25 to screen videos made by Belinda + Barnabas. A project between Eric and Julia Chirka. Twoonie Theatre was a student run performance showcase at the University of Lethbridge that Samuel and Eric participated in. In 2003, Eric danced in a performance choreographed by Stephen Schroeder at Alberta Dance Explosions. It was fun! Eric and Ethan made a x-mas hip hop album with Trenton Shaw and Stewart Elton. We got a mention in FFWD. The small yellow recipe card is an invitation for people to watch crows flying among the trees on 5a street and 23rd Avenue SW as a performance.

The Reflector wrote an article about Meredith 421, an after hours club that Daniel Sponagel ran. It was the location of Bubonic Tourist's first performance Nude (in)fusion. Eric was quoted in the article here. Also pictured here is an advertisement for Yan Jing a Chinese restaurant that our good pal Ian Hittel owned. Eric and Ian did a bunch of fun things together in the late '90s and early 2000s.

In 2006 Eric worked with Barry Gagliardi to create a new performance for John G. Diefenbaker High School. This was the second production that Eric and Gagliardi worked on together. What was always exciting about these projects is that Gagliardi always wanted to piss people off. We miss Gagliardi a lot!

Eric offered a class in Collaborative Creation at the University of Calgary in the summer of 2007. It was an interdisciplinary course. Mark Hopkins, Samuel, and Leda Davis among others were enrolled. It was a pretty fun summer.

Eric made this book as part of his application to One Yellow Rabbit's Summerlab Intensive. It is constructed out of three old fence boards and a bunch of other garbage. Inside there are pictures, a CD-ROM with videos, and bit of writing.

Eric made this book as part of his application to One Yellow Rabbit's Summerlab Intensive. It is constructed out of three old fence boards and a bunch of other garbage. Inside there are pictures, a CD-ROM with videos, and bit of writing.

Eric made this book as part of his application to One Yellow Rabbit's Summerlab Intensive. It is constructed out of three old fence boards and a bunch of other garbage. Inside there are pictures, a CD-ROM with videos, and bit of writing.

The inaugural Mutton Busting Festival poster. The festival ran for four days during the first week of the High Performance Rode. The caption on the poster reads: "a festival of new innovative performance creations by local artists." The first Mutton Busting Festival was co-curated by Eric and Kris Kranjec.

The idea of curating a performance and visual art festival had been percolating for well over a year. In fact there were a couple of different plans cooked up before Mutton Busting actually took shape. Pictured here is the email that Eric sent to Michael Green asking to do the festival as part of the High Performance Rodeo. Originally Eric had intended the festival to be at Meredeth 421. Next to the email is a one page proposal sent to the Art Gallery of Calgary asking to use one of their spaces as a festival site. The first festival cost a total of $635.99 to produce!

One of the main purposes of the Mutton Busting Festival was to create a community of emerging artists across all disciplines. Eric had a pretty good crew of buds that he hung out with that worked in theatre, performance art, new music, and visual art, but this group was small and there was real desire to expand the community that Bubonic Tourist was working in. To attract more artists to the festival, we sent out a call to artist-run-centres, ACAD, and posted it throughout the University of Calgary.

The first Mutton Busting Festival was free to attend. That was a really important part of our mandate - to create an open and accessible festival. We wanted as many people to meet each other as possible. The first festival had over 20 artists and was four days long. The welcome in the program (pictured here) read as follows: "Bubonic Tourist and Kris Kranjec are pleased to present the first ever Mutton Busting festival of new innovative performance. Presented in association with One Yellow Rabbit's 16th Annual High Performance Rodeo, Mutton Busting offers a glimpse at the rising stars of Calgary's performance scene and invites the audience to partake in an exciting adventure of genre exploding, sensory stimulating 'sheep riding'. With a focus on local artists who are both creator and performer, Mutton Busting is guaranteed to provoke as performers extend themselves to the hungry rodeo crowd".

In the fall of 2002 Samuel Garrigo Meza, Juila Chrika, and Eric Moschopedis spent an afternoon driving around back roads and farmers fields east of Calgary taking pictures of Julia dressed as a lamb. We were hoping to get a few pics that could be used to market the second edition of the Mutton Busting Festival. Who knew this would ever happen? You can see on the poster that a subtitle was added to the festival" "Performance Creation / Art Festival". The subtitle would change often as the festival grew. Of note, tickets were $2 each! A festival pass was $30.

The second Mutton Busting Festival ran January 2-16, 2003 and had - as written in the festival program - "36 different performances and over 100 individual emerging performance/visual artists from Canada, Mexico, France, Japan, Germany, and Scotland". Tickets to individual performances were $2.

In 2002 Mutton Busting received two small grants to produce the second festival. These are the letters telling Eric that his applications had been successful. The festival received $1500 from Calgary Region Arts Foundation and $5700 from Alberta Foundation for the Arts. The funds meant artists, technicians, and administrative folks could be paid a small honourarim.

The third Mutton Busting Festival expanded more than the second, growing in both the number of artists who participated and audience who attended. This is the poster from the 2004 edition of Mutton Busting. The drawings on the poster were drawn specifically for the festival by Chad Van Gaalen. Tickets to each performance cost only $2.

The Curator's Welcome for the third Mutton Busting Festival included this: "When Mutton Busting started three years ago it was about pedagogy, creating collaborative relationships among a new generation of innovative (in thinking) artists. I dread describing Mutton Busting as a revolution, but in some very small and meager way I think Mutton Busting has revolutionized the community with which it has become a part of. Three years ago I didn't know who my contemporaries were and so decided to create a forum where ideas, ideologies and artistic practices could be shared". In 2003 Eric programmed Ledgefest as part of the High Performance Rodeo. The program is pictured here next to the Rodeo guide.

As part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival Chris Dadge created an "organized improvisation" that was performed by an group of Calgary musicians he called the Whistleburn Ensemble. Each artist was given an unique "score" or list of instructions that corresponded to different points on a clock. It was pretty great!

As part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival Chris Dadge created an "organized improvisation" that was performed by an group of Calgary musicians he called the Whistleburn Ensemble. Each artist was given an unique "score" or list of instructions that corresponded to different points on a clock. It was pretty great!

Calvin Johnson was one of the headliner as part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival. Mia made this poster promoting the show. The letters at the top were hand drawn and were part of a complete alphabet set that were used throughout the branding of the 2006 festival.

An ad that was published in Beatroute Magazine. You can see some of the design elements used throughout the branding of the festival. Mia drew the letters used for the festival title and days of the week. Mirna made this ad.

One of our favourite peeps, Kristine Nutting, used to operate under the name Cowgirl Opera. She created a macabre adaptation of Chekhov's Three Sisters set on the prairies of Saskatchewan. The show was one of the headlining works at the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival. This is a review that was in Beatroute Magazine.

A FFWD article reviewing the art scene in Calgary during 2006. The series of exhibitions that were curated during the 2005 Mutton Busting Festival were censored by the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts. This article refers to the censorship as being an important event in the year.

As part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival Eric programmed a series called Department of Soft Architecture -- a series of queer performance. This is the program for 6 videos and 1 live performance by Benny Nemerofsky Ramsay.

As part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival Eric programmed a series called Department of Soft Architecture -- a series of queer performance. This is the program for 6 videos and 1 live performance by Benny Nemerofsky Ramsay.

Calvin Johnson played at the Mutton Busting Festival in 2006. Pictured here is a copy of the contract signed between Calvin and Bubonic Tourist, a letter from Calvin, and a postcard advertising Geneviève Castrée's exhibition as part of the festival (co-presented by The New Gallery).

The Summerlad created a live score to the 1927 film The Passion of the Joan of Arc as part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival. It was presented in Motel - a pretty tiny place for such a huge sounding show! It was epic and beautiful!

Edie Fake is a Chicago artist who created some work for the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival in TRUCK's +15 window space. Edie's work was at the centre of the censorship baloney that took place in the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (Arts Commons).

Edie Fake is a Chicago artist who created some work for the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival in TRUCK's +15 window space. Edie's work was at the centre of the censorship baloney that took place in the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (Arts Commons). You can see here samples of Edie's comic at the time "Gaylord Pheonix".

Edie Fake is a Chicago artist who created some work for the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival in TRUCK's +15 window space. Edie's work was at the centre of the censorship baloney that took place in the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (Arts Commons). You can see here samples of Edie's comic at the time "Gaylord Pheonix".

As part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival, Eric curated four different visual artists into the artist-run-centre +15 window spaces in the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (Arts Commons). Pictured here are the cards for Geneviève Castrée (Anacortes, WA), Edie Fake (Chicago, IL), and Megan Hepburn (Vancouver, BC - at the time). These three works, along with work by Kit Malo, were censored by the Centre and garnered national attention as a result.

In 2006 the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (Arts Commons) censored four work that Eric had curated as part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival. From what was eventually exposed, the Centre had received one a complaint from a staff member at one of the theatre organizations located housed in the building. As a result the Centre decided to build a fully studded, drywall wall down the middle of the hallway so that people using the +15 could "choose" which art to see. This was the note that was posted on the wall. It encouraged people to deface the wall with comments about the art, but instead it was largely used for hateful and bigoted commentary.

As a result of the Epcor Centre for the Performing Art (Arts Commons) censorship of four works of art during the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival, the different organizations involved decided to hold a public forum.

In 2006 the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (Arts Commons) censored four work that Eric had curated as part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival. From what was eventually exposed, the Centre had received one a complaint from a staff member at one of the theatre organizations located housed in the building. As a result the Centre decided to build a fully studded, drywall wall down the middle of the hallway so that people using the +15 could "choose" which art to see. This is some of the press that was generated as a result of the censorship.

When the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts censored four works of art in the +15 during the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival support from the arts community was strong. This was a card that Bubonic Tourist received from Vanessa Porteous who was dramaturg at Alberta Theatre Projects at the time.

In 2006 the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (Arts Commons) censored four work that Eric had curated as part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival. From what was eventually exposed, the Centre had received one a complaint from a staff member at one of the theatre organizations located housed in the building. As a result the Centre decided to build a fully studded, drywall wall down the middle of the hallway so that people using the +15 could "choose" which art to see. This is some of the press that was generated as a result of the censorship.

In 2006 the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (Arts Commons) censored four work that Eric had curated as part of the 2006 Mutton Busting Festival. From what was eventually exposed, the Centre had received one a complaint from a staff member at one of the theatre organizations located housed in the building. As a result the Centre decided to build a fully studded, drywall wall down the middle of the hallway so that people using the +15 could "choose" which art to see. Global TV and a couple of other outlets ran stories on the censorship.

Mia drew an entire alphabet and number set for the 2006 edition of Mutton Busting. The letters were used throughout the marketing material that was produced for the festival. Each letter would be cut and pasted into words. A slow process, but well worth it!

Mia drew an entire alphabet and number set for the 2006 edition of Mutton Busting. The letters were used throughout the marketing material that was produced for the festival. Each letter would be cut and pasted into words. A slow process, but well worth it!

In 2006 Eric made a site-specific sound installation for the Calgary Folk Music Festival. The project, Beavers Lament/Sailor and Widow was an audio piece that was split up over 5 stations on Prince's Island Park. The work told the story of a secret love affair between a Beaver and his male lover and the sadness the lovers wife felt after his death. It was made up of audio clips from movies.

In 2006 Eric made a site-specific sound installation for the Calgary Folk Music Festival. The project, Beavers Lament/Sailor and Widow was an audio piece that was split up over 5 stations on Prince's Island Park. The work told the story of a secret love affair between a Beaver and his male lover and the sadness the lovers wife felt after his death. It was made up of audio clips from movies.

Deer Head Cafe (named both after the Calgary institution and the deer head Eric found in a bookstore in Kelowna) was a major part of Eric's graduate work at University of British Columbia: Okanagan. Eric left posters with instructions, postage paid postcards, and lost items with tags on them as a way of encouraging people to visit the cafe. The project took place while in residence at the Alternator Gallery.

Deer Head Cafe (named both after the Calgary institution and the deer head Eric found in a bookstore in Kelowna) was a major part of Eric's graduate work at University of British Columbia: Okanagan. Eric left posters with instructions, postage paid postcards, and lost items with tags on them as a way of encouraging people to visit the cafe. The project took place while in residence at the Alternator Gallery.

Our bud Melanie Bennett wrote a review of Deer Head Cafe that was presented at Alternator Gallery for The Canadian Theatre Review in 2008. Also pictured is a back-up disc of photograps from the project.

In 2006 Eric made a site-specific sound installation for the Calgary Folk Music Festival. The project, Beavers Lament/Sailor and Widow was an audio piece that was split up over 5 stations on Prince's Island Park. The work told the story of a secret love affair between a Beaver and his male lover and the sadness the lovers wife felt after his death. It was made up of audio clips from movies.

Eric curated an "opera" based festival called Hoot Hoot Hoot in 2006. We think that this was a ticket or the front of the program guide. Who knows. hoot hoot hoot was presented at Motel in the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (Arts Commons).

Eric curated an "opera" based festival called Hoot Hoot Hoot in 2006. This is back of the program guide. It was presented at Motel in the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (Arts Commons). This is some of the press that the festival recieved.

In the summer of 2004 Sharon (Adams) Karsten curated a festival called Performance in Peculiar Environments (PIPE). Sharon programmed a number of site-specific performances to occur in and around birds and stone. You will notice on the poster that it say "birds and stone presents". That is because for a short while a group of folks experimented with co-running the space. Eventually birds and stone came back under the management of Bubonic Tourist and with it came Sharon and Simon.